Outboard propeller drive



Nov. 1, 1949. R, M ROQF 2,486,574

OUTBOARD PROPELLER DRIVE Filed Nov. 19, 1945 Patented Nov. 1, 1949UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OUTBOARD PROPELLER DRIVE Robert M. Roof,Aneilerson, Ind.

Application November 19, 1945, Serial No. 629,623

2 Claims. (Cl. 1154-134) This invention relates to an outboard drive formotor boats and the like, having an inboard motor;

The chief objectv of' this` invention is l.to provide a propellerattachment for a boat, whereby any inboard motor may. beutilizedtherewith.,

One chief feature. of the invention resides in the outboard attachmentembodying a parallel shaft power-transmittingconnection.

Another .chier feature of the invention resides in the boat. steeringmeans. carried by said .attachment Still another chief feature. of theinvention resides in the engine water cooling system intake and exhaustportions 'incorporated in the attachment.

A furtherchiefv feature. of the invention resides .in-the adjustableboat anchoring base.

Stilla further chier feature, of the.- invention resides in the multipleunit chain drive and the adjustable4 tensioning means therefor.

Other objects and features of the invention will be set forth more fullyhereinafter.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from theaccompanying; drawings andthe following description and claims:

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the attachmentembodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is asimilar view takenata differentangle and with 'half of thehousing and the.` attaching base rempred.

Fig. 3 is a side View of the lower portion of a modified form of theinvention.

The two most common`V methods `of powering boats; is by' attaching anoutboard motor to the rear thereof or by utilizing an inboard motor andpassing the propeller shaft through the boat near the keel and providinga propeller upon the water exposed end of said shaft. Each has wellknown disadvantages. The present invention is directed to a constructionwhich incorporates the advantages of each and none of the disadvantagesof either.

Any automotive engine, and especially an inverted-in-line engine ispeculiarly'applicable to inboard motor use with the present invention.Herein in Figs. 1 and 2 there is provided a vertically divided two-piecehousing providing a vertical channel Ill therein. At the lower end is anoutlet bearing portion II and aligned therewith is a closed bearingportion I2. l

Propeller shaft I3 is rotatably supported in these bearing portions byanti-friction bearings I4 and I5, respectively. Shaft I3 projects rear-22A wardly from the housing and throughseal` cap t8 and carries on itsrearward end, the. propeller Ill. Between bearings I4 and t5' and rigidwith the propeller shaft I3 are a plurality of sprocket gears I8, hereinsix,. with which mesh sprocket chains I9.

Projecting rearwardly from the housing; are the vertically spacedbearing brackets 21B-v and 2d, see 'Figs l and 2, which rotativelyvsupport tiller post 23 carrying rudder 2.4A at itslmlverl endand thetiller 25 at its. upper end, the lattenspaced from the handle portion3E, having lateralv perforated extension 2l for tiller rope connection.to permit of wheel, control' when desired. The,l rudder is` cut away asat 23 to clear the propeller I'I and extends slightly below the same.

Thel two piece vertical; split portions of the housing. are suitablysecured together in substantially leak-proof: relation and preferably,but not nec.- essarily, -by bolts passing through holes one flange; V9and threaded. into tapped holes in the other ila-nge on; the other partof the housing. A base,- plate 29 is apertured at 3d to, pass uppershaft 3l; inboard as: it were. Aperture 30 is elongated because the baseplate may be angled relative to the vertical housing. The base plate ispivotally mounted on. the housing as at 3,2. On the. lower end isrearward. bracket 331 and thereon at pivot 34- are the rearwardlydirected lin-ksl 35, each of Whichlies to one side of the housing andiny the free end includes an elongated slotI 36. Projecting from eachadjacent. housing; portieril is a. stud 3.1 that extends through slot 33and mounts a clamp nut 38y whereby the angle of face 39 of base 2.9.-may be adjusted to the rear of the boat and with the housing vertical.The base: may be secured by screws or bolts (not, showrr)l appliedthrough openings 4ll. Base 29 at opposite sides includes aperturedbosses 4l, one serving as a cooling water intake and the other as theoutlet to and from the engine respectively.

In the upper part of the housing are the fore and after shoulders orshelves 42 projecting inwardly towards each other. Thereabove are thefore and after bearings blocks 43, each of which is bored to receiveantifriction bearings 44 which rotatably support the jack shaft 3|carrying a like number of sprockets 45 with which mesh the same numberof chains I9 aforesaid.

Each of the blocks are provided with two threaded bores 46, and same areon opposite sides of the bearing therein. A bolt 41 is threaded throughthe top of the housing and the block and on its inner end bears upon theledge or shoulder 42 .for chain tautening purposes. Lock nut 48maintains the adjusted position of the block. A seal and plate structure49 closes the upper forward end of the housing where shaft 3l projectstherethrough. Shaft 3l at its forward end is suitably connected to theengine for power purposes and by means not shown, since the inboardmotor takes many forms.

Herein the forward flange 9 includes a vertical channel U having outlet5i near the upper end and the intake at the lower end.l Depending on theengine used, one of the aligned outlets 5| is plugged and a flexibleconduit connects to the other and extends through the aperture in theadjacent boss 4I and thence to the engine cooling system. The intake endof the channel 50 includes a vertically elongated aperture 52 withupwardly and rearwardly directed louvers 53 to prevent clogging, etc.

In Fig. 3 there is illustrated a modified form of the invention and sameherein omits the conventional rudder shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and it isreplaced by a cylindrical shell 6D carried by the lower end of tillerpost 6 l, the latter being carried by the bracket 62 carried by thehousing 63. In axial alignment with the tiller post is stub shaft 64carried by said cylinder and rotatably supported in the rearwardlydirected keel portion 65 carried by said housing 63 at the lower endthereof.

Within said cylindrical rudder 60 is the propeller 66 carried by therearwardly directed exposed end of shaft 61 projecting from the housing.Herein turning of this rudder effects steering by means of the propellerthrown water acting upon rudder, etc.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in great detailin the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be consideredas illustrative and not restrictive in character.

The several modifications described herein, as well as others which willreadily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art, all areconsidered to be within thebroad scope of the invention, reference beinghad to the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a power transmitting attachment for a propeller to be driven by aninboard motor and the like, having a housing, and a boat attachablebase, the combination of an overhead, forwardly extending shaft adaptedfor driving connection by the motor, a lower rearwardly extending shaftfor connection to the propeller, said shafts being parallel and lappingeach other at their adjacent ends, said housing being elongated and thesaid shafts oppositely projecting therefrom for the connectionsspecified, a plurality of wheels rigid with each shaft and within thehousing, there being a like number of wheels on each shaft, and a likenumber of endless exible driving elements having operative engagementwith said wheels and having conformations complementary to the engagedwheels, means adjusting the spacing between the shafts for endlessdriving element tension adjustment purposes, said last mentioned meanscomprising a shaft support near the upper end of the housing, and meansexposed at the upper end of the housing for adjustment of said means.

2. In a power transmitting attachment for a propeller to be driven by aninboard motor and the like, having a housing, and a boat attachablebase, the combination of an overhead, forwardly extending shaft adaptedfor driving connection by the motor, a lower rearwardly extending shaftfor connection to the propeller, said shafts being parallel and lappingeach other at their adjacent ends, said housing being elongated and thesaid shafts oppositely projecting therefrom for the connectionsspecified, a plurality of wheels rigid with each shaft and within thehousing, there being a like number of wheels on each shaft, and a likenumber of endless flexible driving elements having operative engagementwith said wheels and having conformations complementary to the engagedwheels, and means for adjusting the spacing between shafts for endlessdriving element tension adjustment purposes, said last mentioned meanscomprising a pair of inwardly directed shoulders on the housing, a pairof shaft mounting blocks juxtapositioned thereto, and means adjustingthe position of the blocks relative to shoulders and operatively bearingat one end on said shoulders and projecting upwardly from said b-locks,and exposed by the upper end of the housing.

ROBERT M. ROOF.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number v Name Date 123,629 Hemje Feb. 13, 18721,802,351 Neumann Apr. 28, 1931 1,840,948 Harvey Jan. 12, 1932 1,845,712Jacques Feb. 16, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 23,420 GreatBritain Dec. 21, 1900

